Nature Whisperer (Druid/Bard)

Plants and animals have a language that scant few creatures can understand, let alone speak. Nature whisperers are what many jokingly refer as a side order of druids. They understand the ways of nature, but approach it with a certain wild joy that sometimes is at odds with the more stern approach of most other druidic circles. Nature whisperers feel a certain kinship with the beasts of the land more than with the plants and the earth. As such, their sympathy allows them to sing with an animal’s voice, and the animals join in with pleasure. However, unlike most other druids, nature whisperers have little qualms with the civilized world, as long as they do not witness the mistreatment of animals. Thus, they serve as superb teamsters, falconers, handlers and trainers, and are often found traveling to farmlands and other places where people may have trouble with animals, using their array of skills to smooth strained relationships between hunter and prey, or master and herd. (Original Concept by JonathonWilder)

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The nature whispererselects three bard skills to add to her class skills in addition to the normal druid class skills, one of which must be Perform. The nature whisperer gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The nature whispereris proficient with all simple weapons, and with all natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) of any form that she assumes with her wild shape. The nature whisperer is proficient with light and medium armor but is prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, she may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. A nature whisperer may also wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. A nature whisperer is proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones. A nature whisperer who wears prohibited armor or uses a prohibited shield is unable to cast nature whisperer spells or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so for 24 hours.

Wild Performance: A nature whisperer has a singular affinity towards nature. As such, she is trained to use the Performance skill to create magical effects on animal and plant life, including herself is desired. This functions like the bard’s bardic performance ability, except for the following changes. A nature whisperer can use wild performance for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + her Charisma modifier, but gains only 1 additional round of performance per day at each level after 1st, instead of the usual 2 additional rounds per day. Each round, the nature whisperer can produce any wild performances that she has mastered, as indicated by her level. Each wild performance has audible visual components, or both, as usual.

A nature whisperer gains the following wild performances.

Call of the Wild (Su): At 1st level, an animal whisper can use wild performance to call 1d3 Tiny or smaller animals of a particular type she designates (provided their total CR is less than or equal to her caster level) to seek her out. The called animals must all be of a similar class of animals, such as amphibians (frogs and salamander), birds, insects, mammals (chipmunks, rabbits, and weasels), or reptiles (lizards and snakes). These animals move towards the nature whisperer under their own power and arrive within 1d4 rounds. The animal whisper must continue this performance during these rounds. Once the animals arrive, they remain for as long as the performance continues, plus a number of additional rounds equal to half the animal whisper’s level once the performance ends. Animals called in this way willingly perform one trick, such as attack, defend, or fetch, as if the nature whisperer had taught them to do so (see the Teach an Animal a Trick section of the Handle Animal skill description).

At 3rd level and every two levels thereafter, the number of animals an animal whisper can call increases by an additional 1d3. At 7th level, a nature whisperer can use this performance to call Small animals. At 11th level, a nature whisperer can call Medium animals. Regardless of the size or type, all animals called in this way must be of the same type and their total CR must be less than or equal to her caster level.

Fascinate the Wild (Su): At 1st level, a nature whisperer can use her wild performance to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with her. This functions like the bard’s fascinate bardic performance, except that the animal whisper can only use it to fascinated creatures of the animal and magical beast types with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the nature whisperer, and capable of paying attention to her. The nature whisperer must also be able to see the creatures affected. The total number of HD worth of creatures that she fascinates is equal to 1/2 her nature whisperer level (minimum 1). The closest targets are selected first until no more targets within range can be affected. Each creature within range receives a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the nature whisperer’s level + the nature whisperer’s Charisma modifier) to negate the effect. At 6th level, a nature whisperer can use this performance to fascinate creatures of the plant type with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2. Fascinate relies on audible and visual components in order to function.

Bolstering Voice (Su): At 3rd level, a nature whisperer can use wild performance to remove unfavorable conditions from her allies. At 3rd level, she can spend one round of performance to remove the fascinated or shaken condition. At 6th level, she can spend two continuous rounds of performance to remove the confused, fatigued, or frightened condition. At 9th level, she can spend three continuous rounds of performance to remove the exhausted or panicked condition. The nature whisperer can affect a number of allies equal to her Charisma modifier. This ability is a language-dependent ability and relies on audible components.

Dominate Animal (Sp): At 6th level, a nature whisperer can use wild performance to dominate one animal (as per the dominate animal spell) that she has already fascinated (see above). Using this ability does not disrupt the fascinate effect, but it does require a standard action to activate (in addition to the free action to continue the fascinate effect). A nature whisperer can use this ability more than once against an individual creature during an individual performance. A Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 nature whisperer’s level + the nature whisperer’s Charisma modifier) negates the effect. This ability affects only a single creature (but see mass dominate animal below). Dominate animal is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language-dependent ability and relies on audible components.

Healing Voice (Su): At 12th level, a nature whisperer can use her wild performance to snatch allies from the brink of death. For each round that the performance continues, all allies within 30 feet immediately stabilize and are healed for a number of hit points equal to 1d6 points + the nature whisperer’s Constitution modifier, up to a total of 4d6 hit points of damage. Once a creature benefits from this performance, it cannot benefit from that nature whisperer’s healing voice again for 24 hours.

Wild Ferocity (Su): At 14th level, a nature whisperer can use wild performance to compel animals to protect her. All animals within 30 feet are subject to the rage spell and gain a +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +1 morale bonus on Willsaves, and a -2 penalty to AC for as long as the performance continues. Creatures affected by this ability do not become fatigued when the performance ends. Wild ferocity is an enchantment (compulsion), emotion, mind-affecting, language-dependent ability and relies on audible components.

Mass Dominate Animals (Sp): This functions like dominate animal, but allows a nature whisperer of 18th level or higher to dominate any number of animals, the total number of which cannot exceed a number of Hit Dice equal to her nature whisperer level. Mass dominate animal is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language-dependent ability and relies on audible components.

Irresistible Compulsion (Su): At 20th level, a nature whisperer can expend 6 rounds of wild performance to designate an object or location to emanate magical vibrations that attract (as per the sympathy spell) or repel (as per the antipathy spell) a specific type of creature. A Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 nature whisperer’s level + the nature whisperer’s Charisma modifier) negates the effect. This ability can only affect creatures of the animal, magical beast, or plant types, and only one creature type can be affect at a time. Irresistible compulsion is an enchantment (compulsion), emotion, mind-affecting, language-dependent ability and relies on audible components.

Speak with Animals (Sp): At 2nd level, an animal can speak with animals at will. This ability and speak with plants replace wild shape 2/day, 5/day and 8/day.

Nature Bond (Su): This ability functions like the druid ability of the same name except that the nature whisperer’s effective druid level is equal to her nature whisperer level –3.

Wild Shape (Su): This is exactly like the druid ability of the same name, except for the following changes. A nature whisperer can use wild shape once per day at 4th level, and an additional time per day every tree levels thereafter, up to a maximum of six times per day at 19th level. At 8th level, a nature whisperer can change into a Small or Medium magical beast with an intelligence score of 1 or 2. When taking the form of animals or magical beasts, a nature whisperer's wild shape now functions as beast shape III. At 10th level, a nature whisperer can use wild shape to change into a Tiny or Large magical beast with an intelligence of 1 or 2. At 12th level, a nature whisperer can use wild shape to change into a Huge magical beast with an intelligence of 1 or 2. When taking the form of magical beasts, a nature whisperer's wild shape now functions as beast shape IV. The nature whisperer does not gain the ability to wild shape into an elemental or plant creature.

Speak with Plants (Sp): At 6th level, a nature whisperer can speak with plants at will.